As part of my course, I have completed placement at a veterinary practice. During my placement, I learnt a lot about how to handle and approach the pets, acknowledging their behaviour. As part of my role, I needed to monitor and look after a range of different pets and breeds after surgery, which included taking the dogs outside on walks outside, providing them with food and water and interacting with them such as cuddling. Aside from this, I was able to accompany the Vets whilst in consults along with the owners where I was assisting by holding/distracting the pet. I feel that this placement has given me the opportunity to grow my confidence handling different animals, as well as learning about their specific needs. For example, handling the older dogs more gently due to possible joint pain. Further, as most younger dogs are more energetic, I acknowledged this when interacting with them. Furthermore, I learnt how to recognise different body languages of cats and dogs (as some pets may be nervous or stressed at the vet), whilst understanding what they may need e.g. space. Aside from a veterinary setting, I have also volunteered at a farm where I was working with a range of different animals, ranging from guinea pigs and rabbits, to chickens and ducks. In this role, I needed to clean out their enclosures, and provide them with food and water. I always made sure that their welfare came first, especially as we had many families visiting the farm and there were times where the animals became stressed and overwhelmed. In general, I love looking after animals, especially in different settings and I always acknowledge and appreciate the importance of their welfare and needs.